Sports Digest/CRICKET: The list of grounds which will be used as venues for next summer's ICC Trophy has been announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with the Northern Cricket Union (NCU) getting the lion's share of the action, reports James Fitzgerald.
Subject to a final inspection by the ICC, there will be 16 grounds used from the NCU and three from the North West for the first phase of the competition (July 1st to 8th). Ireland will play their five Phase One games at Bangor, North Down, Waringstown and Stormont (twice).
In total, 30 matches will be played in Phase One with some clubs staging more than one.
After that, the action will move south with six Leinster clubs - Clontarf, Leinster, Malahide, Merrion, North County and The Hills - selected to host at least one match each.
In addition, Clontarf CC have been chosen to host the final on July 13th at Castle Avenue, and it is likely that Clontarf will also be the venue for at least one, and perhaps both, of the semi-finals.
The top five nations in the ICC Trophy will qualify for the 2007 World Cup finals in the West Indies.
The honorary secretary of the ICU, John Wright, from Malahide CC, has been appointed as the tournament director.
ICC TROPHY VENUES: Armagh, Bangor, Carrick, Civil Service, Cliftonville, Cooke/Collegians, Downpatrick, Instonians, Lisburn, Lurgan, Muckamore, Newforge, North Down, RBAI, Waringstown, Woodvale (all NCU), Drummond, Eglinton, Limavady (all North West), Clontarf, Leinster, Malahide, Merrion, North County and The Hills (all Leinster).
CYCLING: With the Irish cyclo cross championships less than a week away, Roger Aiken secured an important boost to morale when he raced to victory in the third round of the Northern Ireland Cyclo Cross League in Castle Park, Bangor, over the weekend, reports Shane Stokes.
The Banbridge CC rider reached the line one minute and 47 seconds clear of chief rival Robin Seymour (Team WORC), having shaken off the multiple national champion on the third of eight laps. Lewis Ferguson (Team Fergie) finished third, 3:26 down, while Robert Lamont (XMTB) and Brendan Doherty (Totalcycling.com) took fourth and fifth.
CRICKET: Australia captain Ricky Ponting declared just four overs after lunch, setting New Zealand the massive task of scoring 464 to win in just under five sessions of play, on the fourth day of the second Test in Adelaide.
Australia, 575 for eight declared in their first innings, were 135 for two at lunch and scored only four runs in the 13 minutes after the interval before sending the Black Caps into bat at Adelaide Oval.
New Zealand, who scored 251 in their first innings, slumped to 36 for four at tea, but recovered slightly to reach 149 for five at the close with Jacob Oram on 40 and wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum unbeaten on 34.
SWIMMING: December proved an exciting time for Irish swimming last year with the staging of the European short course championships at the Aquatic Centre in Abbotstown.
Twelve months on, Swim Ireland are preparing for further innovation and the prospect of having their first full-time high performance director in place before Christmas, reports Pat Roche.
In association with the Irish Sports Council, Swim Ireland will be advertising the high profile position "within a couple of weeks", according to Sarah Keane, the association's first full-time professional chief executive officer.
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